Molesey Regatta
Molesey Regatta is a two-day regatta held each July on the River Thames at Molesey in Surrey. It was founded in 1867 by Molesey Boat Club, a year after the club itself, and is run by a separate regatta committee.
Its full historic name is Molesey Amateur Regatta.
The course
| Distance | 850 m on the Saturday |
| Direction | Downstream |
| Start | Platts Eyot |
| Finish | Hurst Park |
| Reach | Above Molesey Lock |
The Saturday is for senior and masters crews. The Sunday is Molesey Junior Regatta, raced over a shorter course.
The older course was the “Molesey Mile”, which took in a slow bend in each direction and had a reputation as a hard course to win on.
History
In the late nineteenth century Molesey was regarded as second only to Henley, both for the standard of rowing and as a social occasion. Alfred Sisley painted the regatta in 1874.
It has been held every year since except in wartime, in 2007, when river conditions forced the first cancellation in its history, and in 2020.
Other Molesey events
The same committee runs the Molesey Veteran Head and the Molesey Junior Head in the winter.
Watching
Stalls and marquees are set up on Hurst Park beside the finish, and entry to the park is free.